Oklahoma City’s Most Dangerous Intersection

Noble McIntyre on October 16, 2012

Oklahoma City, has its fair share of intersections and stretches of road that are known for being particularly dangerous. However, in recent years, a few have come to light as being especially concerning to motorists and officials alike. The Oklahoman recently reported that Oklahoma resident, Megan Rodgers, has witnessed two accidents in the span of just a few weeks at the same intersection of Belle Isle Boulevard and Northwest Expressway. This particular stretch of road has seen enough car accidents over the past few years to raise more than a little public concern.

The intersection of Interstate 44, where the off-ramp connects to the westbound Northwest Expressway has frequent traffic accidents, due in no small part to the sheer volume of traffic that flows through that area. Stuart Chai, Oklahoma City traffic engineer, was cited recently as having stated that the City is looking into ways to improve traffic flow through the area. With 35,000 vehicles a day passing through though, it’s difficult to eliminate the potential for collisions, and with that the potential need for an Oklahoma car accident attorney.

Tragically, of the two accidents Rodgers coincidentally witnessed in the same location, one of the two was fatal. While both of the accidents she witnessed involved a motorcycle and a car, the motorcyclist in the more of the two recent was fortunate enough to survive the crash. Officials stated that the off-ramp is dangerous not just because of the volume of traffic, but because of the three foot concrete barrier that separates the two lanes of traffic, and can at times impede driver awareness of other traffic.

This was the case in the accident on September 2nd, when motorcyclist Adam Steele, of Oklahoma City was killed when traveling on this off-ramp. He was hit by Colleen Argue, who was traveling in the other lane and turned into Steele’s lane. Argue stated, at the time that her GPS had indicated that she should turn, despite signs indicating no turn. Officials on the scene reported that given the layout of the lanes, Steele would not have been expecting her to turn into his lane. Sadly, the injuries that he sustained were fatal, and the case remains open.

While it’s essential to be situational aware as both a motorist, and a motorcyclist, over-crowded roads can be taxing on even the best drivers. Seven of the ten intersections with the most accidents in Oklahoma City are along this same six-mile stretch of expressway. Congestion and a moment of lost concentration can lead to tragedy so quickly.

Noble McIntyre is the senior partner and owner of McIntyre Law who focuses primarily on drug litigation and catastrophic injury cases. He is currently representing clients injured by the drugs Paxil, Levaquin and testosterone therapy drugs and by clients affected by oil field injuries. His goal has and continues to be to work diligently on behalf of his clients to achieve the highest and best result for his clients’ injuries while maintaining professionalism and abiding by all ethical standards of his profession. Read more about Noble McIntyre.